Source: Daily_Mail
CHARLES SALE: Kuwait billionaires are still in Anfield talks
Liverpool are still locked in talks about selling the club to the Al-Kharafi family in Kuwait, despite reports that the secretive Middle East dynasty were no longer interested in Anfield.[LNB]Instead, Kuwaiti representatives saw Liverpool beat 10-man Chelsea at Anfield and they are continuing negotiations with warring owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, having conducted their due diligence studies of the club's troubled finances over the past few weeks.[LNB][LNB] Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks watched the win over Chelsea on Sunday[LNB]Hicks' main allies at Liverpool, commercial director Ian Ayre and finance boss Phil Nash, have been in Kuwait making presentations to the Al-Kharafis, whose patriarch Nasser has delegated nephew Rafed, a Liverpool fan, to be chief negotiator.[LNB][LNB] More from Charles Sale... Former Gunners chief Edelman heading for top job at FA[LNB]30/01/09 Capello forced to compromise on England friendlies because of fixture list [LNB]29/01/09 BBC defend £173m splash of the day despite no rival bids for TV rights[LNB]28/01/09 Charles Sale: Beeb's secret deal to keep ball rolling [LNB]28/01/09 Charles Sale: The FA back Spain's 2016 Olympics bid to silence racists[LNB]26/01/09 CHARLES SALE: Triesman and Gill in World Cup bid pay showdown[LNB]26/01/09 CHARLES SALE: Sheepshanks plots inside job at the FA[LNB]23/01/09 CHARLES SALE: City's executive chairman Cook in the soup over Milan gaffe[LNB]22/01/09 VIEW FULL ARCHIVE[LNB] It is understood the Al-Kharafi family want the majority stake, with Gillett being bought out and Hicks keeping a reduced percentage.[LNB]The full price would be about £300million but that would also mean picking up debts of £350m. [LNB]Liverpool will be wary after the Al-Kharafi clan terminated talks last July without explanation.[LNB]The contract was ready to sign and all that needed to be done was to settle periphery issues.[LNB]Hicks was furious after five months of negotiations conducted under the football radar. [LNB]Equally upset at their wasted work costing them millions were Al-Kharafi's UK financial advisers, understood to be football stockbrokers Seymour Pierce.[LNB]But the Kuwait billionaires haven't gone away, although agreeing anything between Hicks and Gillett is problematic.[LNB] There is uproar within the BBC that highly regarded Niall Sloane, who runs the football and new Formula One operations, has not been included on the shortlist for the head of sport position in Manchester, having been encouraged to apply when Peter Salmon was appointed to run the Northern operation.[LNB]While bemused Sloane has been ignored, two lesser lights, Phil Bernie and Barbara Slater, are shortlisted.[LNB] Andy Gray: Sky's top pundit[LNB] Sky Sports are revamping their big match line-up ahead of the appointment of Barney Francis, who is expected to succeed Vic Wakeling as sport supremo in the summer.[LNB] Touchline reporter Geoff Shreeves will be on a rota and no longer guaranteed every major game, while Dave Jones, who worked on the Newcastle v Sunderland match on Sunday, is seen as a potential rival to Richard Keys as the main anchor.[LNB]The next question in Sky's changing of the guard will be how long Andy Gray will remain unchallenged as top pundit and co-commentator.[LNB] [LNB] Ipswich owner Maurice Evans, the ticket and hospitality tycoon, is so camera-shy that no photographs of him are in circulation. But that hasn't stopped Evans planning to plaster his name and company logo in giant letters over two stands at Portman Road in addition to 10 perimeter advertising boards promoting his firm.[LNB]Chief executive Derek Bowden told the annual meeting that Evans enjoyed his anonymity.[LNB] The FA claim their summer move of HQ to Wembley will prove less expensive than at first feared. But any savings will be wiped out by having to pay almost £3million-a-year in rates and rental for the FA's lease on Soho Square, which runs until 2020.[LNB]The chances of finding a company to sub-let the expensive central London premises during the recession are not good.[LNB] Tottenham, one of the big-spending clubs of the Premier League, are examining options of a more lucrative kit supply deal although their contract with Puma still has two more seasons to run.[LNB]Exploratory talks have taken place with ambitious American company Under Armour, who supply the Wales rugby team and had a proposed agreement with Manchester City shelved when the new owners arrived.[LNB] Arsene Wenger's doubts as to whether Arsenal will complete the £15million signing of Andrei Arshavan from Zenit St Petersburg before the deadline have surprised insiders because a press conference is being organised for Tuesday to introduce the Russian.[LNB] [LNB][LNB] [LNB]
